CM calls for collective efforts to check non-natives in electoral roll
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 22 2019: Chief Minister N Biren has invited all political parties to come forward and find out collectively whether non-Manipuris have been enlisted in the State's electoral roll rather than living with tension and anxiety on the suspicion that non-Manipuris have been enlisted in the electoral roll.

The Chief Minister made this statement while discussing demand no 27 in the State Assembly today.

Taking part in discussing the demand, Congress MLA K Meghachandra raised a cut motion demanding re-verification of the State's electoral roll.

He said that non-local people won local body election on account of enlistment of a large number of non-local people in the electoral roll.

Responding to the cut motion, Biren stated that the State Election Commission has been revising the electoral roll from time to time under the Election Commission of India (ECI) .

Every time the electoral roll is revised, people are given opportunities to lodge objections and enlist new names.

Altogether 11 District Election Officers, 39 EROs, 72 AEROs and 2861 Both Level Officers are engaged in the same exercise permanently.

Before the draft electoral roll was published, the list of voters was verified from May 25 to June 13, 2018 .

People were also invited to lodge objections and insert new names if any one has been left out.

Moreover, house to house field verification was also-done.

During a house to house verification by BLOs.

27,765 citizens who were eligible for enrolment in the electoral roll were found not enrolled, Biren stated.

BLOs would station at their respective polling booths on February 23 and 24.Ineligible voters who have been somehow enlisted in the electoral roll may be removed on these days and there is no need to be panicky, continued the Chief Minister.

If there are objections, the electoral roll may be reviewed till 10 days after the election schedule is announced, Biren said.

Although some booklets claimed that the total population of non-Manipuris has reached 8/9 lakhs in the State, the Census report of 2011 says that the total number of non-Manipuris is 1,83,000 .

These include 63,000 Nepalese, 31,000 Hindi-speaking people, 30,000 Bengali-speaking people and 1400 to 1500 Punjabis.

As such, there is a vast gap between the booklets and the official record, Biren asserted.

Students, CSOs and political parties can remove ineligible voters from the electoral roll, if there is any but they must do it within the period given by the State Election Commission.

If the officials concerned do not listen to the public, there is a Government, Biren asserted.

Later the House unanimously passed five Demands for Grants amounting to Rs 876,11,12,000 .

The Demands for Grants passed today were Demand No 1 (Rs 110,94,02,000) pertaining to State Legislature, Demand No 2 (Rs 6,84,14,000) pertaining to Council of Ministers; Demand No 3 (Rs 101,75,99,000) pertaining to Secretariat; Demand No.12 (Rs 613,67,52,000) pertaining to Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development and Demand No.27 (Rs 42,89,45,000) pertaining to Election.

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